Pump starting controller



Filed June 23, 1941 PUMP STARTING CONTROLLER May 18, 1943 Patented May 18, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUMP STARTING CONTROLLER Kenneth R. Lung, Kendallville, Ind., assigner to Flint & Walling Manufacturing Co., Inc., Kendallville, Ind., a corporation of Indiana 2 Claims.

This invention relates to establishing a range for automatic functioning in pump operation.

This invention has utility when incorporated in a delivery pump having an intake and discharge, with an automatic control for the discharge having a response connection thereto from the intake.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig, 1 is a side elevation, with parts b-roken away, of an embodiment of the invention in a unit installation adapted for tank or flow service;

Fig. 2 is a plan on the line II-II, Fig. l, showing features of the assembly;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III, Fig. 2, showing the delivery line control valve as connected for actuation from the suction intake, with additional features partly broken away of the injector pump;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV, Fig. 3, of the impeller pump;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V, Fig. 3, of the discharge from the impeller pump;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line VI--VL Fig, 3, showing the chamber portion for pressure flow to the injector pump; and

Fig. 7 is a variant from the injector pump adapted to be of a single pipe system.

An electric motor I exceeds to a spacer 2 having mounting foot 3. This spacer 2. which has the motor I at one side thereof, at the opposite side carries an impeller pump 4 having a suction intake chamber 5 and a pressure discharge chamber 6. This pressure discharge chamber has a fitting 1 therefrom with a plug 8 for priming. From this tting 1 extends a line 9 to a fitting I having a Valve seat II for a disk valve I2, from which extends a stem I3 into a chamber I4. The stern I3, remote from the disk valve I2, has a head I engaging a helical compression spring I6, thereby normally to unseat the valve I2 when atmospheric conditions prevail in the discharge line 9, for unobstructed flowftherefrom by a pipe I1 to a T I8. wherein past ga valve I9 there may be continuous fiow say thrbugh a pipe 2D as for irrigation, water tanks, or like purposes. In the event the valve I9 be closed, a valve 2| may be open, and by way of a line 22 a storage tank 23 may be charged say for a given pressure, even with diaphragm type of air pump device 24 and a pressure cut-ofi control 25 for the motor I.

The intake chamber 5 has connection by a duct 26 to the chamber I4 as closed by a flexible diaphragm 21, This means that, With the rotary impeller pump 4 started after the chamber 6 has been primed, suction is created in the intake 5 producing pressure drop in the chamber I4 so that the flexible diaphragm 21 overcomes the normal opening tendency of the helical spring I6 as to the valve I2. In this actuator operation the flexiblediaphragm 21 collapses or moves against the head I5 and thus causes the valve I2 to engage the seat II. This shuts off delivery from the pump 4 as to the duct I1. The operation of the pump accordingly is then effective to build up pressure in the chamber 4.

Protected by a baille 28 there may be flow from this chamber 6 by way of a duct 29 to an injector nozzle 30 into a Venturi 3|, thereby effective to draw liquid, as Water, from a chamber 32 therebelow as a check valve 33 is unseated, in allowing such liquid to ascend into this cham ber 32. This injector thereby takes some of the delivery from the pump 4 and, by this injector pump in series therewith, causes such liquid through the nozzle 30 and venturi 3| to flow by way of a pipe 34 to the intake 5.

In the set-up herein, efciency is developed in having the capacity of this injector pump in full response to the normal capacity of the impeller pump as to volume of liquid handled. It thus follows that, as the injector pump crowds liquid toward the intake 5, there is reduction of suction or vacuum in the duct or passage 26 and the diaphragm 21 releases the valve I2 for being unseated by the discharge or flowing pressure as assisted by the spring I6.

Accordingly, as soon as the pump operation really picks up, this valve I2, from normally open, has passed through an interval of closing until the injector pump is in service, and then there is effected hereunder, in the range of different lift conditions, a delivery, say in a single stage, small diameter rotary pump. which may in practice have a lift of 20 feet. to have such exert a discharge pressure of 40 or 45 pounds. This means that occasion may be taken for locating the injector pump, whether of double or single pipe type, at a desired range of depth. When of single pipe type. the discharge line 29 from the chamber 6 may be connected to a tting 35 in the pipe 36 for flow to the nozzle 30 having discharge into the venturi 3| and flow thence by way of the discharge duct 34 extending to the intake 5. This nozzle 30 in the pipe 36 may be located with a tting 31 and centering springs 38 in its extent to a foot check valve 39.

In the operation hereunder, there is provided a compact motor pump unit having in the take-off line therefrom a control connected, independent of flow circuit through this discharge line, by an actuator connection from the intake to the pump. This control is suction responsive to close the discharge as the rotary or reciprocating pump starts. This means a build up of pressure in the discharge line.

The spring I6 not only holds the valve I2 open at atmospheric pressure, but, as soon as the impeller pump 4 starts delivering liquid, there is intake suction to seat or close the valve I2, with almost instantaneous supply of liquid to the chamber 5 from this injector 3I. Then the spring I6 unseats the valve I2 as to the seat II even below atmospheric pressure in the intake chamber 5. There is advantageous functioning of the impeller pump 4 when the injector 3| is so operating that the eiective lift of the impeller pump 4 may be say in the range of 15 to 20 feet. Accordingly, the spring I6 is normally selected so that the valve I2 will unseat in this range of 7 to 8 pounds negative pressure. The discharge line from the impeller pump 4 by Way of the chamber 6 and past the valve I2 is unrestricted or fully opened, over practically the full range for operation of the pump 4 for full discharge to the line I1. This means that in practice when the valve I2 is open it provides an unobstructed passage for the discharge from the pump. The by-pass by way of the line 29 to the injector 3I is desirably of just sumcient proportion for the injector 3| to respond for the range of say less than 9 pounds negative pressure in the chamber 5. The impeller pump 4 is thereby effective due to this unobstructed passage provided by Way of the valve I2 for full range of discharge in its gallons per hour rate almost immediately at starting and so to continue, Whether there be discharge direct to atmosphere or a build-up of back pressure under head or in a tank. As the back pressure in the chamber 6 builds up, the intake 5 reaches and may even exceed atmospheric. The impeller pump 4 is efficient to do its work of creating a discharge pressure in the chamber Ii above its intake pressure in the cham-Ber 5, which diierential may approach a constant. In the event the effective lift or vacuum pull at the chamber 5 be 7 pounds below atmospheric and the delivery chamber 6 has a discharge pressure 20 in a desired volume, then as the pressure in the chamber 6 builds up to say 40 pounds, the pressure in the chamber 5 may be around l0 to 15 pounds above atmosphere.

The relatively small unit herein may be in a single or multiple stage impeller pump in a range of 3 to 5 inches in diameter and 3400 R. P. M.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An impeller pump having a discharge therefrom, a suction intake thereto, a supply extension forrthe intake including an injector, a line from the discharge to operate the injector, said discharge having a delivery duct, a valve in said duct, a spring normally holding thwvahe open to provide an unobstructed passage for the pump discharge and maintained against disturbance at normal atmospheric pressure, a chamber provided with a diaphragm to oppose the spring, and a connection from the intake to the chamber, adapted in the interval of pump starting, for suction actuation of the diaphragm to close the valve.

2. An impeller pump for liquid having a discharge therefrom, a suction intake thereto, a supply extension for the intake including an injector pump of full response to the capacity of the impeller pump, a line from the discharge to operate the injector, said discha'rge having a delivery duct, a valve in said duct, a spring normally holding the valve open to provide an unobstructed passage for the pump discharge at atmospheric pressure, a chamber provided with a diaphragrnmto oppose the spring, and a connectiffio'm the intake, adapted in the interval of pump starting, for suction actuation of the diaphragm to close the valve during the starting of the pump and responsive to pump discharge liquid to fully open the valve.

KENNETH R. LUNG. 

